The consumer electronics industry believes these sets will spark an upgrade cycle with consumers as prices come down and more 4K content is available — something 3-D and Internet-connected Smart TVs failed to do.

Top TV makers have targeted the technology toward the high-end of the market, with prices rarely below $3,000. But Chinese brands such as TCL, Hisense and Seiki have introduced UltraHD sets priced around $1,000, said Paul Gagnon, an analyst with industry research firm DisplaySearch.

“The 4K market is being pulled in two directions,” he said. “You have the big brands trying to keep it a high-end technology and let it slowly mature into the mainstream because it is more profitable to do it that way. Then you have these Chinese brands that are all gunning for some rapid market adoption and volume.”

Analysts will be watching to see if Samsung, Sony and top-tier TV makers announced lower UltraHD TV prices at the show, as well as introduce it on smaller screens.

“I think you are going to see some 4K products that are at arms length, like a 20-inch tablet from Panasonic that will look as good in your lap as a 84-inch TV across the room,” said Richard Doherty, head of industry research firm Envisioneering.

UltraHD still suffers from a lack of available shows to watch in 4K resolution. Can cable and satellite providers charge more for 4K movies to justify the added bandwidth necessary to deliver such dense, super high resolution video? Analysts will be looking for announcements from these pay TV providers about their 4K plans.

Analysts, however, don’t think a lack of content today will necessarily stop consumers from buying UltraHD TVs. Blu-ray discs look great on UltraHD sets, said Gagnon, even though they aren’t 4K resolution.

“In the early days of HD, there wasn’t a lot to watch either, but people still bought them because of the expectation that content was coming,” he said.

Curved, giant screens

One new thing expected this year in TVs involves screens with a slight curve. LG announced that it will show off some OLED — or organic light emitting diode — sets with curved screens.

“There is a school of thought that because it is curved, if you’re sitting in the sweet spot, it’s a more immersive experience,” Gagnon said. “I leave that for people to judge for themselves.”

Samsung and others also are expected to demonstrate very large screen sets — in some cases 110 inches or more. Of course, these TVs are very expensive. The Associated Press reported that one 110-inch sets cost $150,000 — outside the range of most buyers.

3-D printers

The so-called makers movement has sparked a cottage industry in 3-D printers, which can actually be used to build things with different materials. Today the devices are expensive and appeal to people who — back in the day — built their own computers. But industry watchers see potential for the devices.

CES dedicated Tech Zone space to 3-D printer companies for the first time this year, and organizers had to expand the square footage three times to meet demand, Shapiro said. There are a dozen companies on a waiting list.